I often hear people talking about only having pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. What a shame! Pancakes are a great meal for any time of the year.
I have great childhood memories of my Dad and I being the first ones up early on a Saturday morning. He would make pancakes while I sat on the counter top chatting away! I can take myself back there just by closing my eyes.
When I make pancakes and coffee now the smells also remind me of those precious moments with my father. I bet you have a special childhood memory too? I would love to hear them so please share them on my facebook page here.
Pancakes Recipe
My Dad’s recipe modified!
Ingredients:
1 cup gluten free flour (in the UK I use Dove brand)
1 cup milk or if you prefer unsweetened or homemade almond milk (use a drizzle more if mix too dry)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
4 tablespoons melted coconut oil or butter
Method:
My Dad used to throw everything into a mixing bowl and use a hand mixer to combine. Nowadays I put everything (liquid first) into a blender and mix in there. Quick & easy!
Have a pan on the stove top heated on medium with a little butter and pour some of the mix in. You can make small or large pancakes whatever takes your fancy. This particular mixture will be very runny, more like a crepe mix. Don’t worry, it will all stick together. If you like your pancakes a bit thicker, simply add a few more tablespoons of flour to the mixture.
Allow the pancake to develop holes on the wet side before turning over. It will almost be done when you flip it so the second side won’t need much time.
Healthy fillings:
When I was growing up we used to pour corn syrup on the pancakes! Oh the horror of this now as I look back. I used to love the kick of that sugar!
I am a “recovering sugar addict”! I do my best to stay away from refined sugars or anything I know makes me feel wired. So instead if I want something sweet on my pancakes I have some fresh or frozen berries or even a bit of maple syrup. This tasty topping is now known to have many health benefits. You can read about them here.
Maple syrup with a squeeze of lemon is also nice.
I do like a dash of real butter on my pancakes. Nutritionists say that some saturated fat is essential to our bodily functions.
A few more healthy toppings:
Make a savory filling with tuna or salmon.
Almond butter. This is a favourite as it tastes like cookies!
Smashed avocado with chilli flakes. Thanks to my kiwi friends for this brilliant idea!
Hope you enjoy these pancakes any time of year and for any meal of the day!
Remember to share your childhood food memories as a post over on my facebook page here. #favouritefood